Ministry of Science & Technology
Decentralized and Integrated Management of municipal wastes has the potential to change the entire waste management scenario in India, says Professor Hirani
Kolkata; December 03, 202
Decentralized and Integrated Management of municipal wastes has the potential to change the entire waste management scenario in India. Instead of seeking piece-meal and disjointed efforts towards this humongous challenge, there is need to approach the problem in a holistic and comprehensive manner. This was stated by Professor Harish Hirani, Director, CSIR-CMERI today. Delivering the key note address virtually on “Decentralized and Integrated Municipal Waste Management” for the 11th International Conference on Sustainable Waste Management and Circular Economy and IPLA Global Forum 2021, Professor Hirani said, the CSIR-CMERI Integrated Waste Management System is a modular technology consisting of eight different modules. This modular design of the technology architecture ensures that the system is able to handle a diverse waste scenario as well as be easily customized in accordance to the local requirements. This improves the versatility of the entire system as it provides a ‘Multi-Optional’ approach to tailor-make solutions as per local requirements. The CSIR-CMERI Integrated Waste Management System objectively seeks to achieve a ‘Zero-Waste and a Zero Landfill’ India, Professor Hirani added.
Professor Hirani mentioned that the Technology Architecture of the CSIR-CMERI Integrated Waste Management System ensures that the system is able to handle a diverse waste scenario as well as be easily customized in accordance to the local requirements.
The CSIR-CMERI Integrated Waste Management System has a robust Segregation Methodology which is able to handle diverse variant of wastes i.e. Dry/Wet Wastes, Plastics, Organic, Glasses, C&D Wastes among others. The Entire System has been steadily evolving along with time and will be further upgraded as per the challenges faced/learned through experience garnered from deployment in various geographical locations. Three variants of the Technology were presented which showcased how the Technology has evolved to become ‘Energy Sufficient’ over the time. This Customisation and Flexible approach required for handling Variations in the nature of Wastes is very difficult in Centralized Systems but very easy in proposed Decentralized system. Besides, Decentralised Waste Management Models are also sources of Employment Generation for Local Community alongside making them aware about Environmental Responsibility. The same technology can also be deployed for ‘Management of Fruit and Vegetable Wastes in Mandis’ and a 5 TPD similar model would soon be deployed in a Mandi in Ludhiana, Punjab.
Professor Hirani stressed that CSIR-CMERI has a comprehensive and holistic solution for tackling ‘Management of Municipal Solid Wastes’. However, the most important factor is having an effective Business Plan/Economic Model for widespread distribution of the technology. Three different Economic Models for De-centralized Processing of Municipal Waste were presented with waste processing capacities of 0.5 TPD, 2.5 TPD and 10 TPD to help the user adopt the appropriate Technology. Waste Management plants operating with a capacity less than 0.5 TPD may opt for manual segregation to reduce the capital expenditure and obtain overall sustainability. However, it will not be a “Zero Landfill” solution. For plants with waste processing capacities greater than 0.5 TPD, the cost-benefit analysis will depend on the selection of proper technology modules along with obtaining suitable tipping fee from waste generators to make the overall mechanism sustainable. The Tipping Fee type Contracts based upon Processing/Tonnage might provide the foundations of an efficient Public-Private-Partnership model of delivering Waste Management Solutions across the Nation. The Economic Viability of the Technology will multiply with ‘Scaling Up of Volume’.